8 Most Exotic Places In New Zealand You Must Visit

New Zealand is one of the best country to visit across the globe. There are a lot of exotic places in New Zealand worth to visit throughout the year. 

This country is a home for stunning and geographically distinctive natural landscapes. No wonder that many movie sets take place in New Zealand.

1. Hobbiton

The Hobbit world which was depicted perfectly both in the trilogy of the Hobbit movies and the Lord of the Ring movies is located in this beautiful and impressive Matamata district, in New Zealand. If you are a big fan of those movies, then don’t forget to arrange your itinerary here when you are visiting New Zealand.

Here, you can experience the direct atmosphere of well – preserved natural landmarks from the Hobbiton Movie Set. Hobbiton also becomes the right option for honeymooners who want to experience the unique atmosphere of the Hobbit world. You can enjoy great meals that being cooked by local recipes at the Shires Rest and exotic drinks at the Green Dragon pub.

There are a lot of farm stay choices are available here for people who want to stay several days in Hobbiton. There are also some Chestnut Lane Cottage in Hobbiton worth to stay during your vacation here. The Hobbiton is worth to visit all year round. It only takes for about two hours driving from Auckland to get to the Hobbiton in Matamata district.

2. Mount Cook National Park

For those who are avid nature lovers, then visiting Mount Cook National Park can be your best choices. Mount Cook National Park which is also known as Aoraki is part of the World Heritage Area of Te Wahipounamu in New Zealand.

As one of the exotic places in New Zealand, Mount Cook National Park contains various and amazing natural landmarks such as glaciers, white – peak ice mountain ranges and superb rocky terrains.

Mount Cook National Park or Aoraki is located in the western area of South Island of New Zealand. This national park is near to the town of Twizel. Mount Cook National Park or Aoraki is established in 1953 in order to preserve the natural landmarks here.

Tourists can get to Aoraki or Mount Cook National Park by driving for about 45 minutes north past Cromwell on state highway 6. Then turn to the state highway 8 and go through Tarras. The three hours journey will worth to try once you get to the National Park.  Mount Cook National Park is a home for the longest glaciers and highest mountains in New Zealand.

3. Lake Tekapo

Lake Tekapo is one of the most exotic places in New Zealand you must visit. This place offers its visitors with dazzling sight of bright – blue glacial waters and surrounded by pink purple flourish lupin flowers in spring season. 

This place is worth to visit throughout the day. If you choose to visit Lake Tekapo at night, then this place will turn into an amazing stargazing area.

Lake Tekapo is a home of every beautiful views you can imagine. This lake is the second largest parallel lakes in New Zealand. 

The water from Lake Tekapo runs from north to the southern part of the Mackenzie Basin that is located in the South Island of this country. The end of the Lake Tekapo’s outflow is in the Tekapo River.

Lake Tekapo covers 83 square kilometres area. This lake is located at an 2.330 feet or 710 metres altitude the sea level.

4. Piha Beach

When it comes to exotic places in New Zealand, then Piha Beach surely will become one of your popular choices. This place is very well – knows sites especially for surfers across the globe. 

Piha Beach has well – preserved natural landmarks with crystal – clear turquoise waters which makes it very popular among landscape photographers.

Piha Beach is also famos for its black sand beach. The black color of the sand is due to the high level of iron content, which comes from the volcanic eruption. 

One of the best icon in Piha Beach is the giant Lion Rock which is formed naturally by a volcanic monolith which divides the north and south side of Piha Beach.

The Lion Rock also has war memorial on it. Otherwise, the uniqueness of Lion Rock also because of its remarkable Maori carvings. There are a lot of transport options to get to Piha Beach. 

You can take a public transport such as train, or skybus if you come to Auckland by plane. If you get to Piha by train, then you can stop at Glen Eden and Henderson train stations.

These two stations are the closest train stations to get to Piha. After arriving at Piha, you can continue by taking an uber, taxi or hitchhike.

5. Cape Reinga

As one of the best exotic places in New Zealand, Cape Reinga has local legend story surrounded the area. Maori people believes that Cape Reinga is the transition place for the spirits. 

Maori legend says that spirits will go to the ancestral homeland of Hawaiki from Cape Reinga as the departure sites on earth.

If you are eager to see the spectacular and amazing views of the natural landmarks surrounded the area, you can walk to Cape Reinga’s popular lighthouse. From the lighthouse, you can enjoy the stunning sight of the coastline and the green landmarks surrounded it.

Cape Reinga is located in the New Zealand’s North Island, especially in the Northland Region. Cape Reinga is on the tip of the Aupouri Peninsula, the place where the Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean meet. Unfortunately, there is no direct public transportation to get to Cape Reinga from Auckland.

To get to Cape Reinga, you can take several buses that get you to the Kerikeri, Awanui, then Pukenui. Once you get to Pukenui, you can continue by taking a taxi to Cape Reinga.

6. Milford Sound

Despite its secluded location, Milford Sound is one of the most famous exotic places in New Zealand that worth to visit. Almost every year, not less than hundreds of thousands tourist from across the globe visit Milford Sound. The most peak season is from November to March as this place can host more than two thousands visitor each day.

If you want recommendation, then winter season is the best time to visit Milford Sound as you can get clearer views of the location. Milford Sound is located in the south west of South Island in New Zealand. 

This place is part of Fiordland National Park in Tasman Sea. Many people come to Milford Sound from Te Anau as this place is the closest city to this popular tourist destination.

Besides Te Anau, most tourists come to Milford Sound from Queenstown. There are many activities visitors can do here. 

A day cruising the crystal clear blue waters is one of the most attractive activities you can do here. If you want to experience more adventurous activities, then go explore the Milfrod Track.

7. Mount Taranaki

Mount Taranaki or Mount Egmont in  North Island of New Zealand, is a great resemblance toward Mount Fuji in Japan. This symmetrical mountain is an idle stratovolcano that is located on the western coast. One of the main tourist attractions available in Mount Egmont or Mount Taranaki is hiking tracks around the national park.

Mount Taranaki is a home for a lot of pristine natural landmarks from lake, green forests, verdant waterfalls, swamps, open fields and so on. Mount Taranaki is a part of Egmont National Park which was formed since 120,000 years ago. 

This volcanic mountain was last erupted in 1775. It is more likely that Mount Taranaki is still sleeping and not dead yet.

You can access Mount Taranaki by car from 3 different entry points. You can get to this place from Egmont Road to North Egmont, or Pembroke Road to Stratford Plateau, or from Manaia Road to Dawson Falls. The best time to visit Mount Taranaki to climb is between January and March since during this time, the mountain is clear from ice or snow.

8. Coromandel Peninsula

Coromandel Peninsula is located in Auckland city which is covered in green rainforest and remarkable white sandy beaches. Coromandel Peninsula is the best tourist destination for those who want to experience the calmness and quiet atmosphere. There are many tourist attractions available in this place, from fishing, cruise ships, diving, and shopping the local souvenirs.

There are a lot of options available for local souvenirs in Coromandel Peninsula since this place is a home for craftspeople and artists. You can buy pottery or a piece of unique art in the studio here. If you decide to stay in Coromandel, there are many options for accommodation. The accommodations range from simple to the luxurious one.

You can choose whatever type of accommodation you like. It is no wonder that Coromandel Peninsula is known as one of the best exotic places in New Zealand since it has a bunch of picturesque coastal areas, pristine beaches, natural forests. Some of the hidden gems here are Hot Water Beach and Cathedral Cove.

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